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Jan 26, 2011

The parent trap (1961): what a charming film!!

Sorry I haven't written lately. On the life part of the blog, uhm, I finished watching the first two seasons of a really funny (modern) series, Parks and Recreation, starring Amy Poehler. It's hilarious! Also, I've been enjoying lots of great Australian Open tennis matches (my favorite sport by far, any other fan out there?). Oh, I bought an ukulele because I though it would be easier to play than a guitar, and it wasn't. I've been listening to genius Glenn Miller and even saw his biopic, The Glenn Miller Story, starring James Stewart and June Allyson. Went to see a play and it was kind of funny, but very basic. Also, I reached page 274 in Errol Flynn's entertaining autobiography, My Wicked Wicked Ways; I'll review it soon. End of the report--

Also, on Saturday I watched for the first time the original The Parent Trap with Hayley Mills and Maureen O'Hara. OMG, I loved it! I had seen the one with Lindsay Lohan and Natasha Richardson several times and liked it. But the old one is way better, so entertaining and charming. Hayley, just as in The Trouble with Angels, is super awesome as the twin sisters that want to bring together their divorced parents.

I'm trying to figure out what makes Hayley be so effective in these kind of movies, what made her a super Disney star. Cool British accent, looked innocent but seemed always be thinking in her next prank, the screenwriters gave her witty lines in most of her films so you wish you could behave and talk like her, and most of all, she always seemed to be having a great, summery, colorful, time.

Maureen O'Hara is really funny as her mom and looks beautiful. Starts being all serious, but then she loosens up and the real fun begins: clever remarks against her ex husband's fiancée, punches in the eye with Irish wilderness, being cute with a priest to have him on her side, wearing her ex's robe, etc.

I hadn't seen Brian Keith before, but my mom said she knew him from some series, I don't know which one. He's great as the dad too and he had great chemistry with Maureen. My favorite part is when one of the Hayley Mills wants to tell him the truth about the twins mix up, but he thinks that she wants to talk about sex, which becomes a really awkward and terribly funny scene (click to watch it). LOL.

Another thing that stand out is that Una Merkel is on it! I don't care if she has like 5 lines as Verbena, the housekeeper, but it was great to see her again. Oh, the dad's girlfriend from this movie had really bad hairdo so you kind felt sorry for her. The actress that played the part, Joanna Barnes, also appears in the new version as the mom of her former character.

So, I had a blast watching this film, really. It has entertaining summer camp scenes (they are always funny), awesome-non-distracting effects to show Hayley + Hayley, a lovely house near a lake that I wish I had, appealing performances and a great script. Plus a super catchy song, Let's get together, with which I leave you.

Wow, I didn't know that, Sophie. I play since I was 13, before that I was more into karate and swimming :) But that's great, any favorite player? My favorite player used to be Martina Hingis, but now she's retired so I'm following Kim Clijsters. My favorite male player is Chilean Fernando González, of course :) but now he's injured. And about TPT, I'll probably see it again soon, it was really awesome. Also, I read over Millie's blog, that her favorite movies from Hayley Mills were "The Moon Spinners" and "That darn cat", so I'm planning to see those too! Thanks for visiting, girl, hope you're great :)

Brian Keith was in a show called Family Affair. I've seen a few episodes (my mom used to watch it when she was younger, too). It's a fairly entertaining--if a little bland--comedy about a well-to-do bachelor who adopts (I think it's his sister or brother's kids) after their parents die. He knows nothing about kids and the usual hijinks ensue.

Re: The Moonspinner, I think you will really like it. It's a fun Disney thriller/mystery. I thought it was very entertaining. It's on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaNuiqQA1IA

I love Hayley in Trouble With Angels. That is probably my favorite movie of hers.

I bet the series your mother was referring to was "Family Affair." Brian Keith played a rich bachelor who raises his brother's 3 orphaned children. It's a very cute, sweet comedy from the 1960s. Keith was also in one of my favorite Doris Day movies, "With Six You Get Eggroll."

I haven't seen "The Parent Trap" in a long time, but your post makes me want to watch it again soon! :)

I'm a big Hayley Mills movie and I love PARENT TRAP. But I always thought it was interesting to really think about the plot: Hey, weren't the parents actually pretty cruel? They split up twin daughters, each took one, and kept it a secret. Ah, who cares? Let's get together (yeah, yeah, yeah!).

Audrey: You're right,I asked my mom and the series was "Family Affair", only that here it was known as "Mis adorables sobrinos" (= My adorable nephews). Thanks for the links, I will watch the movie soon; and, yeah, "The trouble with angels" is one of my favorites from Hayley, I also love "Pollyanna" :) Thanks for dropping by, girl!

MC: You won the bet! As I said to Audrey, here it was known as "Mis adorables sobrinos" (= My adorable nephews). I have to check that movie with Doris, sounds great. Oh, and yeah, you should re-watch TPT soon, it's so much fun. Thanks for dropping by!

CDATC: OMG, yeah, I agree with you! I don't know how the we forgive that terrible situation. I guess it's so entertaining that you just forget how mean the parents were. I mean, they don't even call the other kid!! Thanks a million for your comment!

I'm just really going through my blog roll right now because I haven't been on blogger in quite a while... I have to comment on this one. I really adore this movie! It couldn't be more charming and funny.... besides Hayley Mills' talents, I really loved Maureen O'Hara in this film :)

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